Biology Prefixes and Suffixes: erythr- or erythro- Biology Prefixes and Suffixes Biology Prefixes and Suffixes: erythr- or erythro- Erythrocytes (Red Blood Cells). Credit: CDC/Janice Haney Carr Biology Prefixes and Suffixes: (erythr- or erythro-) Definition: The prefix (-erythr or -erythro) means red or reddish. It is derived from the Greek word eruthros meaning red. Examples: Erythremia (Erythr-emia) - abnormal increase in red blood cell numbers in the blood . Erythrism (Erythr-ism) - condition characterized by redness of hair, fur or plummage. Erythroblast (Erythro- blast ) - immature nucleus containing cell found in bone marrow that forms erythrocytes (red blood cells). Erythroblastoma (Erythro- blast - oma ) - tumor composed of cells that resemble red blood cell precursor cells known as megaloblasts. Erythroblastopenia (Erythro- blasto - penia ) - deficiency in the numbers of erythroblasts in bone marrow.

Erythrocyte (Erythro- cyte ) - cell of the blood that contains hemoglobin and transports oxygen to cells . It is also known as a red blood cell . continue reading below our video 4 Tips for Improving Test Performance Erythrocytolysis (Erythro- cyto - lysis ) - red blood cell dissolution or destruction that allows the hemoglobin contained within the cell to escape into its surrounding environment. Erythroderma (Erythro- derma ) - condition characterized by abnormal reddness of the skin that covers a widespread area of the body. Erythrodontia (Erythro-dontia) - discoloration of the teeth that causes them to have a reddish appearance. Erythroid (Erythr-oid) - having a reddish color or pertaining to red blood cells. Erythron (Erythr-on) - total mass of red blood cells in the blood and the tissues from which they are derived. Erythropathy (Erythro- pathy ) - any type of disease that involves red blood cells. Erythropenia (Erythro- penia ) - deficiency in the numbers of erythrocytes.

Erythrophagocytosis (Erythro- phago - cyt - osis ) - process involving the ingestion and destruction of red blood cells by a macrophage or other type of phagocyte. Erythrophil (Erythro- phil ) - cells or tissues that are readily stained with red dyes. Erythrophyll (Erythro- phyll ) - pigment that produces red coloration in leaves, flowers , fruit and other forms of vegetation. Erythropoiesis (Erythro- poiesis ) - process of red blood cell formation. Erythropoietin (Erythro-poietin) - hormone produced by the kidneys that stimulates bone marrow to produce red blood cells. Erythropsin (Erythr-opsin) - vision disorder in which objects appear to have a reddish tinge. Medical Word Roots Indicating Color - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com Medical Word Roots Indicating Color Watch short & fun videos Start Your Free Trial Today An error occurred trying to load this video. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. You must create an account to continue watching Register for a free trial Are you a student or a teacher?

I am a student Start Your Free Trial To Continue Watching As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you succeed. Coming up next: Medical Suffixes for Signs & Symptoms You're on a roll. Keep up the good work! Your next lesson will play in 10 seconds 0:43 Cyan/o Add to Add to Add to Want to watch this again later? Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course. Custom Courses are courses that you create from Study.com lessons. Use them just like other courses to track progress, access quizzes and exams, and share content. Teachers Organize and share selected lessons with your class. Make planning easier by creating your own custom course. Students Create a new course from any lesson page or your dashboard. From any lesson page: Click "Add to" located below the video player and follow the prompts to name your course and save your lesson. From your dashboard: Click on the "Custom Courses" tab, then click "Create course". Next, go to any lesson page and begin adding lessons. Edit your Custom Course directly from your dashboard.

Personalize: Name your Custom Course and add an optional description or learning objective. Organize: Create chapters to group lesson within your course. Remove and reorder chapters and lessons at any time. Share your Custom Course or assign lessons and chapters. Teacher Edition: Share or assign lessons and chapters by clicking the "Teacher" tab on the lesson or chapter page you want to assign. Students' quiz scores and video views will be trackable in your "Teacher" tab. Premium Edition: You can share your Custom Course by copying and pasting the course URL. Only Study.com members will be able to access the entire course. Create an account to start this course today Try it free for 5 days! Lesson Transcript Instructor: Adrianne Baron Adrianne has taught high school and college biology and has a master's degree in cancer biology. We are going to learn the various terms that are used to describe color in medical terminology. We will discuss the two different ways in which these terms are used. Colors in Medical Terminology As you learn the language of medicine, you will realize that word roots can be categorized based on body systems. Like most rules, there are some exceptions. Some exceptions to this rule are the word roots that are used to describe color.

Word roots describing color can pertain to many different body systems and can also explain conditions in many different body systems. The other unique thing about the color terms is that depending on how they are being used, they can be considered a word root or a prefix. There are six color terms that we are going to discuss in this lesson that you will be using regularly. Cyan/O Cyan/o is the word root and combining form that is derived from the Greek word, kuanos, meaning blue. One very commonly used term containing the word root cyan- is cyanosis. Cyan- is combined with the suffix -osis, which means condition of. Cyanosis is a term used to describe a condition where a person appears blue in color due to a lack of oxygen in the bloodstream. Another term is cyanopsia. This contains the suffix -opsia, which means visual condition. This refers to a condition where a person sees everything in the color blue. This is usually a light blue tint and is often associated with cataracts. Erythr/o The word root and combining form erythr/o refers to the color red, and it is derived from the Greek word erythros.

This can appear in terms such as erythrocyte, erythropoietin, and erythrolaryngosis. Erythrocyte means red blood cells since erythro- is joined to the suffix -cyte, which means cells. Erythropoietin is composed of the combining form erythro and the suffix -poietin, which means substance that forms. The term erythropoietin is used to describe substances that form red blood cells. Erythrolaryngosis contains erythro and laryngo along with the suffix -osis. The suffix -osis means condition of, so erythrolaryngosis means the condition of having a red throat or irritated throat. This is an instance of red being used to describe something, so it is a prefix here as opposed to a word root. Leuk/o The word root and combining form leuk/o is from the Greek word leukos, meaning the color white. There are many terms that include leuk/o. Let's look at some of them now. There are two terms that you have likely heard of at some point. One term is leukocyte and the other term is leukemia.

Leukocyte is composed of leuko- and the suffix, -cyte, meaning cell. This term means white blood cell. These are the cells in the body that function in the immune system. Leukemia is composed of the word root, leuk- and the suffix, -emia, meaning blood or blood condition. Leukemia means a blood condition of the white blood cells. This blood condition is characterized by having too many white blood cells in the blood. In both of these terms, leuk/o is a word root since white is a part of the subject of the term. Melan/o Melan/o is the term for the color black. Black is used to describe the appearance of a type of cancer known as melanoma. The term melanoma is made of the word parts melan- and -oma. The suffix -oma is defined as tumor. So, a melanoma is a tumor that is black (or black tumor). This cancer affects the pigment in our skin known as melanin. Melanin can also be broken down into its word parts. It is composed of melan- and -in. The suffix -in means a substance, chemical or compound. Therefore, melanin means a substance that is black (or simply, black substance).

The amount of melanin produced in our bodies is what determines our skin color. In both of these terms, melan- is a prefix rather than a word root since black is being used to describe the subject of the term. Melanin is produced by melanocytes. You should be able to see that melanocytes can be split into its word parts and defined as cells that produce the color black. This would not be defined as black cells because melan- is a word root here as opposed to a prefix. Melena is another term that you may use over time in the healthcare field. Melena means black, tarry stools. This term is only composed of one word part and therefore cannot be broken down. × Colorful Words from the Greek Colorful Words from the Greek By Maeve Maddox Several Greek color words have enriched the English vocabulary. Black We get the combining form melano from the Greek word meaning dark or black. melancholy: a gloomy mental state; according to ancient physiology, a humor called “black bile” was secreted by the kidneys and the spleen, and was thought to cause melancholia. melanoma: a skin tumor containing a dark pigment.

melanin: any dark brown or black pigments of animal or plant structures, for example, hair, or the surface of a raw potato when exposed to air. White The element leuk in certain medical terms is from the Greek word for white. leukemia: a chronic disease characterized by an abnormal increase in the number of white blood cells. leukocyte: a white blood cell. Red The Greek word for red gives us the combining form erythro, which is used in the specialized terminology of medicine, chemistry, and mineralogy. erythrophyll: the red coloring matter of leaves in autumn. erythroretin: a resinous constituent of rhubarb root. erythroscope: an optical contrivance, by which the green of foliage is caused to appear red, while all other green objects retain their natural color. erythrocyte: a red blood corpuscle. Blue Cyan is the Greek word for dark blue, but what artists call “cyan blue” is a color midway between green and blue. cyanide: an extremely poisonous crystalline solid. It got its name because it was first obtained by heating the dye pigment known as Prussian blue.

cyanin: the blue coloring matter of certain flowers (e.g., violets and cornflowers). cyanosis: blueness of the skin owing to the circulation of imperfectly oxygenated blood. Green The Greek word from which we get the combining form chlor described a pale green. chloroform: volatile liquid used as an anesthetic. Chloroform is colorless; it got its name as the result of combining the words chlorine and formic, as in formic acid. chlorophyll: the coloring matter of the leaves and other green parts of plants. chlorine: a yellowish-green heavy gas. Finally, the Greek word for color gives us the combining form chromo, which creates nouns and adjectives that denote colored objects, coloring processes, and coloring agents: chromatic: full of color. polychrome: art executed in many colors. chromium: a metallic element remarkable for the brilliant colors–red, yellow, or green–of its compounds. Subscribe to Receive our Articles and Exercises via Email You will improve your English in only 5 minutes per day, guaranteed! Subscribers get access to our exercise archives, writing courses, writing jobs and much more! You'll also get three bonus ebooks completely free!

16 Responses to “Colorful Words from the Greek” D.A.W. on May 11, 2014 11:42 am “The Greek word for red gives us the combining form erythro”– Erythromycin is a well-known antibiotic, and I believe that it was the first of the mycin antibiotics to reach wide use in medical care. When my only sister was quite young, it was found that she was allegic to all of the penicillin antibiotics. Hence the doctors gave her erythromycin instead. Next, she became allergic to that one, too. I am lucky that I am not allegic to ANY antibiotics, but my sister the doctor is allergic to most of them! She is very careful about all antibiotics. D.A.W. on May 11, 2014 11:51 am Melanie: a name for women, such as Scarlet O’Hara’s cousin Melanie in GONE WITH THE WIND, played by Olivia de Havilland. Sodium cyanide and potassium cyanide are solids at room temperature, but hydrogen cyanide is a poisonous gas.

Some was used in combat by the German Empire during World War I, but hydrogen cyanide is better known for its use in executions, formerly, in some of the states of the United States. Cyanide compounds are also used in the purification of gold ores because of the affinity of the cyan radical for gold. All of this has to be done with extreme care in metallurgy because the byproducts, such as hydrogen cyanide, are very poisonous. D.A.W. on May 11, 2014 11:54 am Melatonin is an important hormone that is produced by the brain, pituitary gland, and pineal gland, and it is important in the sleep-wakefulness cycles of human beings, apes, and other mammals. Some people take pills of melatonin in an effort to overcome insomnia and to adjust their cicadian rhythms. D.A.W. on May 11, 2014 12:21 pm Chlorine is not just a yellowish-green heavy gas. It is a chemical element, element number 17 on the Periodic Table because each of the chlorine nuclei contains 17 protons.

See: The importance of the chemical elements cannot be underestimated, especially since there is a small, finite number of them. (For example, uranium is element 92 and plutonium is element 94. As the atomic numbers increase beyond this, the elements become very unstable and very radioactive.) The Greek prefix “klor” actually means “pale green”. Please see the Wikipedia article above for its spelling in Greek letters. The color of gaseous chlorine does NOT carry on to its chemical compounds, such as sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, which are colorless, and its compounds in organic chemistry. These compounds are essential in all forms of life, from human beings down to bacteria — even though gaseous chloride is very poisionous. In a noteworthy episode of STAR TREK, “Man Trap”, there is an alien being that “sucks” all of the salts out of people, thus killing them immediately. The alien has a hunger for salt for its own existance. A “salt” is just about any chemical compound with “chloride” in its name, such as sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, and ferrous chloride. D.A.W.

on May 11, 2014 12:43 pm CHROMINANCE: Analog color TV is still used in many parts of the world, including most of Africa, Asia, Central America, South America, and the island countries and territories of the world. It is probably still in use in northern Canada, too, in the area of sparse populations. In analog color TV, besides the audio signal, there are two video signals called the luminance signal and the chrominance signal, separated in frequency. The luminance signal conveys the brightness or darkness of the dots on the screen. Black and white TV sets use this signal and ignore the chrominance signal. The chrominance signal carries the color information for each dot. A color TV set uses both the luminance signal and the chrominance signal to produce the color picture. In the case of a black and white broadcast, the chrominance signal is zero, and a color TV set presents a black and white picture. Sometimes, the chrominance signal is just called the “chroma” signal. D.A.W.

on May 11, 2014 1:03 pm A Greek word for colorful came into English as “iris”, and the word “iris” was given to a family of plants that produce flowers in a wide variety of colors. Also from “iris”. There is a chemical element, a metal, that was given the name “iridium” because of the wide variety of colors that its compounds have while in solutions. Iridium is a member of the family of chemical elements that are valuable, dense, and interestingly, inert to a wide variety of elements. The other five elements are platinum, palladium, osmium, rhodium, and ruthenium, and these are called the “platinum group” of elements, since platinum was the first of these to be discovered. The platinum group is a subset of the “nobel metals”. See All of these metals are very resistant to attack by acids, and some of them even resist aqua regia (a blend of nitric acid and hydrochloric acid). Tantalum and niobium are also very resistant to acids, but for some reason they are not included.

Alloys of iridium and osmium are very dense, they have very high melting points, and they are very resistant to chemical attack. D.A.W. on May 11, 2014 1:07 pm “monochromatic” = “one color” “bichromatic” = “two colors” “polychromatic” = “many colors” venqax on May 12, 2014 6:55 pm DAW: Just admit you made the very common mistake of saying underestimate when you meant overestimate. “Cannot be overestimated” is a common phrase meaning something is exceedingly important. People often mess it up and say “cannot be underestimated” when that is what they mean…No big deal. In many contexts, the phrase “cannot be” means “should not be”. Dale A. Wood on May 14, 2014 10:08 pm Venqax: you do not understand that the word “underestimated” includes underestimating all the way down to ZERO. In other words, that means that one will totally ignore something that is really important.

You cannot and should not do that with something as important as the chemical elements. Once again, underestimating something includes IGNORING it completely. I am sorry that you have never learned to reason things all the way to their scientific and mathematical extremes. “That cannot be underestimated” is a perfectly reasonable statement in English, and it is NOT someone’s mistake. D.A.W. Red | Define Red at Dictionary.com Red a male or female given name. 2. a nickname typically given to someone with red hair. R verb (used with object), redd or redded, redding. Northern and Midland U.S. 1. to put in order; tidy: to redd a room for company. 2.

Origin Expand before 900; apparently conflation of 2 words: Middle English (Scots) reden to clear, clean up (a space, land), Old English gerǣdan to put in order (cognate with Middle Dutch, Middle Low German rêden, reiden; akin to ready ); and Middle English (Scots) redden to rid, free, clear, Old English hreddan to save, deliver, rescue (cognate with Old Frisian hredda, German retten) red- variant of re- before a vowel or h in some words: redintegrate. a native English suffix, denoting condition, formerly used in the formation of nouns: hatred; kindred. Middle English -rede, Old English -rǣden Grange Harold ("Red"; "the Galloping Ghost") 1903–1991, U.S. football player.

Auerbach [ou-er-bahk, our-; for 2 also German ou-uh r-bahkh] /ˈaʊ ərˌbɑk, ˈaʊr-; for 2 also German ˈaʊ ərˌbɑx/ Spell Arnold ("Red") 1917–2006, U.S. basketball coach and manager. 2. [ber-tohlt] /ˈbɛr toʊlt/ (Show IPA), 1812–82, German novelist. Skelton John, c1460–1529, English poet. 2. Richard Bernard ("Red") 1913–97, U.S. actor and comedian. Dictionary.com Unabridged Examples from the Web for red Expand Contemporary Examples Even red Tails had trouble getting made with George Lucas on board. Surprising Christmas History From the Date to Origins of St. Nicholas The Browser December 22, 2011 “The red Cross was not a central player in those early days,” said New York City Councilman Brad Lander.

After Sandy, the American Red Cross Collects Both Criticism and Cash Lizzie Crocker, Caitlin Dickson November 23, 2012 The team also began using testosterone patches instead of red eggs. The Wrong Woman Charles D. Stewart Her cheeks were red and smarting from the blows she had received. Sara Crewe Frances Hodgson Burnett I could see where the red fountain gushed from a wound in his shoulder. British Dictionary definitions for red Expand noun 1. any of a group of colours, such as that of a ripe tomato or fresh blood, that lie at one end of the visible spectrum, next to orange, and are perceived by the eye when light in the approximate wavelength range 740–620 nanometres falls on the retina. Red is the complementary colour of cyan and forms a set of primary colours with blue and green related adjectives rubicund ruddy 2. a pigment or dye of or producing these colours 3. red cloth or clothing: dressed in red 4. a red ball in snooker, billiards, etc 5. (in roulette and other gambling games) one of two colours on which players may place even bets, the other being black 6.

(archery) Also called inner. a red ring on a target, between the blue and the gold, scoring seven points 7. (informal) in the red, in debit; owing money 8. (informal) see red, to become very angry adjective redder, reddest reddish in colour or having parts or marks that are reddish: red hair, red deer 11. having the face temporarily suffused with blood, being a sign of anger, shame, etc 12. (of the complexion) rosy; florid 13. (of the hands) stained with blood, as after committing murder 15. bloody or violent: red revolution 16. (of wine) made from black grapes and coloured by their skins 17. denoting the highest degree of urgency in an emergency; used by the police and the army and informally (esp in the phrase red alert) 18.

(US) relating to, supporting, or representing the Republican Party Compare blue (sense 24) verb reds, redding, redded redness, noun Word Origin Old English rēad; compare Old High German rōt, Gothic rauths, Latin ruber, Greek eruthros, Sanskrit rohita red2 verb reds, redding, red, redded 1. (transitive) a variant spelling of redd 1 Red noun 3. a member or supporter of a Communist or Socialist Party or a national of a state having such a government, esp the former Soviet Union 4. a radical, leftist, or revolutionary Word Origin C19: from the colour chosen to symbolize revolutionary socialism grange (mainly Brit) a farm, esp a farmhouse or country house with its various outbuildings 2. (history) an outlying farmhouse in which a religious establishment or feudal lord stored crops and tithes in kind 3. (archaic) a granary or barn Word Origin C13: from Anglo-French graunge, from Medieval Latin grānica, from Latin grānumgrain Grange noun (in the US) 1.

the Grange, an association of farmers that strongly influenced state legislatures in the late 19th century 2. a lodge of this association Auerbach noun 1. Frank (Helmuth). born 1931, British painter, born in Germany, noted esp for his use of impasto r noun (pl) r's, R's, Rs 1. the 18th letter and 14th consonant of the modern English alphabet 2. a speech sound represented by this letter, in English usually an alveolar semivowel, as in red 3. 9. (in the US and Australia) restricted exhibition (used to describe a category of film certified as unsuitable for viewing by anyone under the age of 18) (as modifier): an R film redd1 verb redds, redding, redd, redded 1. (transitive) often foll by up. to bring order to; tidy (up) noun the act or an instance of redding Derived Forms C15 redden to clear, perhaps a variant of rid redd2 noun 1.

a hollow in sand or gravel on a river bed, scooped out as a spawning place by salmon, trout, or other fish Word Origin C17 (originally: spawn): of obscure origin Skelton noun 1. John. ?1460–1529, English poet celebrated for his short rhyming lines using the rhythms of colloquial speech Derived Forms Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for red Expand adj. Old English read "red," from Proto-Germanic *rauthaz (cf. Old Norse rauðr, Danish rød, Old Saxon rod, Old Frisian rad, Middle Dutch root, Dutch rood, German rot, Gothic rauþs). As a noun from mid-13c.

The Germanic words are from PIE root *reudh- "red, ruddy" (cf. Latin ruber, also dialectal rufus "light red," mostly of hair; Greek erythros; Sanskrit rudhira-; Avestan raoidita-; Old Church Slavonic rudru, Polish rumiany, Russian rumjanyj "flushed, red," of complexions, etc.; Lithuanian raudas; Old Irish ruad, Welsh rhudd, Breton ruz "red"). The only color for which a definite common PIE root word has been found. The initial -e- in the Greek word is because Greek tends to avoid beginning words with -r-. Along with dead , bread (n.), lead (n.1), the vowel shortened in Middle English. The surname Read/Reid retains the original Old English long vowel pronunciation and is the corresponding surname to Brown-, Black, White. The color designation of Native Americans in English from 1580s. The color as characteristic of "British possessions" on a map is attested from 1885.

Red-white-and-blue in reference to American patriotism, from the colors of the flag, is from 1840; in a British context, in reference to the Union flag, 1852. The red flag was used as a symbol of defiance in battle on land or sea from c.1600. To see red "get angry" is an American English expression first recorded 1898. Red rover, the children's game, attested from 1891. Red light as a sign to stop is from 1849, long before traffic signals. As the sign of a brothel, it is attested from 1899. As a children's game (in reference to the traffic light meaning) it is recorded from 1953. Red-letter day (late 14c.) was originally a saint's day, marked on church calendars in red letters. Red ball signifying "express" in railroad jargon is 1904, originally (1899) a system of moving and tracking freight cars. Red dog, type of U.S. football pass rush, is recorded from 1959.

Red meat is from 1808. Red shift in spectography is first recorded 1923. Red carpet "sumptuous welcome" is from 1934, but the custom for dignitaries is described as far back as Aeschylus ("Agamemnon"); it also was the name of a type of English moth. "Bolshevik," 1917, from red (adj.1), the color they adopted for themselves. Association in Europe of red with revolutionary politics (on notion of blood and violence) is from at least 1297, but got a boost 1793 with adoption of the red Phrygian cap (French bonnet rouge) as symbol of the French Revolution. First specific political reference in English was 1848 (adj.), in news reports of the Second French Republic (a.k.a. Red Republic). Red China is from 1934. The noun meaning "radical, communist" is from 1851. grange n. "small farm," mid-15c.; mid-13c. in place names (and cf.

granger ), from Anglo-French graunge, Old French grange "barn, granary; farmstead, farm house" (12c.), from Medieval Latin or Vulgar Latin granica "barn or shed for keeping grain," from Latin granum "grain" (see corn (n.1)). Sense evolved to "outlying farm" (late 14c.), then "country house" (1550s). Meaning "local lodge of the Patrons of Husbandry" (a U.S. agricultural interest promotion organization) is from 1867. redd v. early 15c., "to clear" (a space, etc.), from Old English hreddan "to save, free from, deliver, recover, rescue," from Proto-Germanic *hradjan. Sense evolution tended to merge with unrelated rid . Also possibly influenced by Old English rædan "to arrange," related to Old English geræde, source of ready (adj.).

A dialect word in Scotland and northern England, where it has had senses of "to fix" (boundaries), "to comb" (hair), "to separate" (combatants), "to settle" (a quarrel). The exception to the limited use is the meaning "to put in order, to make neat or trim" (1718), especially in redd up, which is in general use in England and the U.S. Use of the same phrase, in the same sense, in Pennsylvania Dutch may be from cognate Low German and Dutch redden, obviously connected historically to the English word, "but the origin and relationship of the forms is not clear" [OED]. R In a circle, meaning "registered (trademark)," first incorporated in U.S. statues 1946. Three Rs (1825) said to have been given as a toast by Sir W. Curtis (1752-1829). R&R "rest and relaxation," first recorded 1953, American English; R&B "rhythm and blues" (type of popular music) first attested 1949, American English.

If all our r's that are written are pronounced, the sound is more common than any other in English utterance (over seven per cent.); the instances of occurrence before a vowel, and so of universal pronunciation, are only half as frequent. There are localities where the normal vibration of the tip of the tongue is replaced by one of the uvula, making a guttural trill, which is still more entitled to the name of "dog's letter" than is the ordinary r; such are considerable parts of France and Germany; the sound appears to occur only sporadically in English pronunciation. [Century Dictionary] The moment we encounter the added r's of purp or dorg in our reading we know that we have to do with humor, and so with school-marm. The added consonants are supposed to be spoken, if the words are uttered, but, as a matter of fact, they are less often uttered than seen. The words are, indeed, largely visual forms; the humor is chiefly for the eye.

[Louise Pound, "The Humorous 'R,'" "American Mercury," October 1924] She goes on to note that in British humorous writing, -ar "popularly indicates the sound of the vowel in father" and formations like larf (for laugh) "are to be read with the broad vowel but no uttered r." She also quotes Henry James on the characteristic prominence of the medial -r- sound (which tends to be dropped in England and New England) in the speech of the U.S. Midwest, "under some strange impulse received toward consonantal recovery of balance, making it present even in words from which it is absent, bringing it in everywhere as with the small vulgar effect of a sort of morose grinding of the back teeth." Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper radical (usually an alkyl or aryl group) respiration Centaury Centaury Common Centaury European Centaury Centaury is a small, erect herb that is native to North Africa, Europe and Western Asia. This annual herb has also been naturalized in North America.

The herb has a square stem that grows to a height of 15 cm to 30 cm (around 6-12 inches) branching significantly near the top. The stem emerges from a clump of small and broad leaves having an oval shape. In fact, the leaves at the base of the stem form a decoration. However, the leaves growing on the stem are relatively smaller, have a pale green hue, and are lance-shaped and structured in pairs at regular spaces. The stem of centaury bears bunches of striking red or pink colored flowers resembling stars and having yellowish stamens during the period between summer and middle of autumn. Centaury belongs to the Erythraea genus and the genus name of this herb has been drawn from the Greek word ï¿½erythros' denoting red - the color of centaury flowers. Earlier, the genus Erythraea was known as Chironia, derived from the name Centaur Chiron, an eminent personality in Greek mythology who was well-known for his talent in herbal medicines and is believed to have healed his wound sustained accidentally from a septic (poisoned) arrow dipped in the blood of hydra with herbs.

In fact, the English name of the herb also originated from Centaur Chiron. Centaury tastes extremely bitter and, hence, people in ancient times called it Fel Terrae meaning the ï¿½Gall of the Earth'. In old English, the herb was called Felwort which also denotes the ï¿½Gall of the Earth' and this name is applicable for all the plants belonging to the Gentian family. This herb is also believed to be the ï¿½Graveolentia Centaurea' of Virgil, which was nicknamed ï¿½tristia' by the Lucretius owing to the same reason - the intense bitter taste of the herb. As the bitter taste of the herb is responsible for its curative and tonic properties, occasionally centaury is also referred to as Febrifuga as well as Feverwort. Another popular name of centaury is Christ's Ladder. In effect, this herb is also known as Centaury Gentian, Red Centaury, Century, Felwort and Centory. It may be noted here that centaury is considered to be the most effective herb among all the plants having bitter flavour and exceptional common tonics or stimulating properties.

Centaury possesses the same antiseptic properties that are found in the buckbean and the field gentian. Several species of centaury exist and among them, the centaury, scientific name Erythraea centaurium, is an annual plant having a yellow hued, tough and timbered root. The stem of this variety of centaury has a square shape, is stiff, and erect. Centaury bears light green colored leaves that are smooth and glossy with undivided borders. The leaves at the base of the herb are larger compared to the others and have an oblong or compressed shape. They are tapered at the base and rounded at the end forming a scattering cluster at the bottom of the herb. On the other hand, the leaves growing on the stem do not have any stalk and have pointed tips resembling a lance. The leaves on centaury stem appearing in pairs reverse to one another are slight intermissions. The apex of the stem of centaury is coroneted by flat clusters or corymbs of rose-hued blossoms resembling stars. The flowers possess five bifurcated corollas. The flowers also have five stamens.

It is interesting to find the anthers coiling in a strange manner once they get rid of their pollens. Although centaury and the plants belonging to the genus Gentiana have close similarities, the form of the anthers after pollination makes them distinct from each other. In fact, the similarities between these two had led some botanists in the early days to classify the genus Gentiana as Centaury Gentian or Gentiana centaurium. The flowers of centaury only bloom when the weather is pleasant and they never open after mid-day. Documenting the centaury flowers' fondness of sunlight, English botanist John Gerard has stated that these flowers bloom during the day after the sunrise and close their petals again when around the evening hours. However, occasionally the flowers having white corollas differ in this regard. It may be noted that to a great extent, species of Centaury differ depending on the conditions where they are grown. In effect, several botanists have categorized some of the different types of Centaury. For instance, the dwarf centaury (scientific name, E.

pulchella), which is a tiny plant having an extremely lean stem and just one or two flowers with stalks, more frequently only one flower and usually found growing on sandy seashores, particularly in the western region of Europe has been singled out at Newquay in Cornwall. Similarly, the dwarf tufted centaury (scientific name, E. littoralis) is an undersized plant having large leaves and blossoms packed in some sort of an apex are found on grassy sea cliffs. Another such species of centaury known as Broadleaved Centaury (scientific name, E. latifolia) has even larger leaves compared to the tufted centaury. This species of the plant bears blossoms in branched clusters, while the principal stem is separated into three branches. Apart from the Centaury species found in England, further species grown in the southern regions of Europe, the Azores and other places bear flowers that have a yellowish or pink hue. These species are, however, generally cultivated in gardens . Centaurium erythraea is a flowering species belonging to the gentian family and is also known by a number of common names, such as common centaury and European centaury.

This species of Centaury is found in abundance in Europe as well as different regions of northern Africa and western Asia. In addition, the Centaurium erythraea has also be naturalized in different regions North America, and introduced as a new species across Australia. Centaurium erythraea or the European centaury is a biennial herb that grows erect up to a height of 50 cm. This herb develops from an undersized rosette at the base and bears a leafy, erect stem that is likely to branch out at the top. The leaves of Centaurium erythraea have a triangular form and are emerge opposite to each other on the stem, while the flowering parts of the plant are erect and come out from the stem growing parallel to it. Occasionally, the flowering parts are found intertwined with the undergrowth. Each flowering part of this species of Centaury may include several blooms. The small flowers have a pinkish-lavender hue and measure approximately a centimetre in diameter. The flowers have a flat appearance with yellowish anthers. The fruits borne by Centaurium erythraea or the European centaury have a cylindrical form and are generally of the size of a capsule.

As discussed earlier, the herb centaury has derived its name from the legendary centaur in Greek mythology named Chiron, who is believed to be an expert in herbal medications. The term erythrae too has been drawn from the Greek word denoting red and refers to the red colored flowers of the herb. The early Celts believed that Centaury brought good luck, while the herbal medicine practitioners in Scotland often prescribed the use of the herb to heal snake bites as well as other venoms. It is interesting to note that during the Middle Ages people were of the view that centaury was a supernatural herb that helped in driving evil spirits away. The flowers of centaury are etched on the tomb of the renowned English poet William Wordsworth, who was an admirer of nature. William Wordsworth considered the centaury flowers that only open up during the day time and again shuts up in the evening as the rising sun! In old English, centaury was also known as bitterwort and the intense bitterness of the herb prompted English botanist Nicholas Culpeper to describe the herb as ï¿½extremely healthy, but not very pleasant to taste'.

Centaury belongs to the gentian family and similar to all other members of this plant family, it encloses numerous compounds having bitter flavours. These bitter compounds are beneficial for the proper functioning of the liver and the gall bladder and, thereby, stimulate the digestive process and also help in augmenting appetite . If the herb or preparations with it are taken before a meal, they help in stimulating appetite and when they are taken after meals, they are useful in conditions like dyspepsia (or facilitate the digestive process) and alleviates heartburn (a burning sensation in the stomach after eating any food). Especially, herbalists as well as the common masses in France and Italy have held centaury in high esteem for its digestive properties. Centaury is among the bitter herbs that are made use of in preparing vermouths (wines flavoured with aromatic herbs and used chiefly in mixed drinks), which is consumed as an appetizer to stimulate desire for food or work to make a slothful liver more robust. While centaury has been a popular traditional herb, Dr. Edward Bach (1886-1936) developed it into a further alternative medication system.

It may be mentioned here that Centaury is among the 38 Bach Flower Remedies that herbal medicine practitioners recommend for people who are calm, anxious to gratify others and are dictated by other people without much effort. Parts used All part of the centaury possesses therapeutic properties and hence, the entire herb is used for some remedial purpose or the other. The entire herb is harvested during the month of July when it is just about to blossom. Following harvesting, the plant is dried for later use. The fresh centaury plants have some kind of a smell, which fades away when they are dried. Uses Centaury is a very beneficial herb used to heal several conditions. The herb possesses a slight aroma, is extremely bitter to taste, is beneficial for the digestive system and also serves as a tonic. The herb is beneficial for the functioning of the liver and the kidneys, helps in getting the blood rid of all impurities and is an exceptional stimulant. After the centaury plant is dried, it is administered in the form of infusion or powder. Alternately, an extract of the herb is also used.

The use of herb is widespread in curing conditions, such as dyspepsia ( indigestion ), sluggish digestion along with heartburn (burning sensation in the stomach) following a meal. In these instances, an infusion prepared by steeping one ounce of the dehydrated herb in one pint of water is administered to the patient. Drinking one wine glass full of herbal tea prepared with centaury thrice or four times every day before meals is beneficial for people suffering from loss of appetite. This infusion is also effective in alleviating pain caused by muscular rheumatism. Herbal medicine practitioners in Scotland often prescribed the centaury infusion for treating snake bites as well as other venoms. The herb was also popular for treating sporadic fevers for a long time and, hence, its name feverwort. It is interesting to note that long back, centaury formed the foundation of the erstwhile popular Portland Powder that was considered to be an effective treatment for a certain type of gout . Herbal medicine practitioners often administer centaury along with barberry bark to treat jaundice . In addition, the herb has also been extensively used as a vermifuge to eliminate worms from the body.

In fact, a decoction prepared with the herb is believed to obliterate the noxious substances present in our body. External application of the crushed parts of the fresh herb is also said to be effective in healing lesions and pain. Habitat and cultivation Centaury is indigenous to central Europe, but is found in abundance in the entire region extending from Western Europe to western Siberia. Presently, the herb is also grown in North Africa and western Asia. It has also been naturalized in North America. Generally, centaury is found growing in arid, grassy locales, along the side of the roads as well as crumbly and arid slopes. Constituents Centaury contains valeric acid, wax, a bitter principle, erythro-centaurin, which is pallid, crystalline, non-nitrogenous, reddened by sunlight, and a bitter glucoside, erytaurin.

Question: Derived from the Greek word "erythros", which colour does the prefix erythro describe?
Answer: RED